Diary of a Wimpy Kid Movie Review

Any great idea deserves a second look and Diary of a Wimpy Kids has gotten more than that. The best selling book series combines witty dialogue and stories from the perspective of Greg Heffley (played by Zachary Godon in the film) with cartoons added right next to the text to help readers understand what Greg is going on about. This clever combination has made the series a big hit and now it has come to theaters as a live action film. How will the film compare and contrast?

Story

The storyline of Diary of a Wimpy Kid follows Greg, a small middleschooler constantly tormented by bigger, meaner, and cooler kids. Despite being considered a dork by everyone he knows, Greg has an inflated ego that goes well with his clever remarks. Of course, in middle school it doesn't matter how clever you are, only how big you are. Greg decides to try a handful of hairbrained schemes to become cool, but they all fail miserably. Greg is an interesting character and about as deep as might be expected from a middle schooler--he is confident that things will change and one day he will be able to look back on all of this and laugh. At the same time, his wit allows his to make such clever observations that we are all amused. Why indeed are kids as small as he expected to interact with kids who are already growing facial hair? Jeff Kinney has captured middle school anxiety in an interesting way.

Humor

The film can be genuinely funny and a bit moving, so there is something there for the whole family, but the emphasis as a kid's movie, which means lots of crude humor. The film is riddled with fart jokes, booger jokes, as well as endless bullying to Greg himself. The effect is joy for kids and everyone else thinking "we get it already! They are kids." There are some certain silly elements that just seems perfect however: the honor of touching "cootie" ridden cheese on the pavement, having to play sports outside without your shirt on, and being embarrassed of Mom. The savior of the film as far as comedy is Greg's best friend Rowley Jefferson (played by Robert Capron). This lovable fat kid presents himself as a foil to Greg's angst. The chubby fellow is happy, content, and knows who he is, something that Greg is unable to grasp. The dialogue of the film will be a much more pleasant aspect of the comedy for most viewers. The film has captured the sharp, witty nature of dialogue that has made Diary of a Wimpy Kid so successful as a book.

One could certainly argue that the live action nature of the film takes something away from the cartoon quality of the original story, but the film still accomplishes its own style that goes well with the book. It would have difficult to render the film in cartoon form and have it still capture the middle school feel. The costume design is hilarious in its stereotypical nature, especially in scenes like gym class. The film certainly is better than the average kid movie, but it will not reach heights for everyone in the audience. Reviewers give the film about a 6 or 7 out of 10. It is rated PG for some rude humor and language.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diary_of_a_Wimpy_Kid_%28film%29